In the view of Henry Ward Beecher, “The newspaper is a greater treasure to the people than uncounted millions of gold”. A source of vital information for the people from all walks of life, newspapers, play an essential role in guiding and shaping public opinion, by making the public aware of all the happenings they should ideally be aware of.
Newspapers are one of the most powerful means for the expression of news (be it regional, national or international) and interpersonal views, and they educate their readers about the problems faced throughout the world as well as their probable solutions. They are, therefore, an essential means of communication and an absolute necessity in the modern day life.
Let us consider the top ten newspapers across the globe, dominating the world market :
- The Guardian (UK) :
This British daily, formerly known as “The Manchester Guardian”, was founded on 5 May 1821 by John Edward Tailor, with its headquarters located at Kings Place, London.
- The Wall Street Journal (USA) :
The Wall Street Journal is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper, with headquarters based in New York City. Founded on 8 July, 1889, the daily’s international editions are also available in Chinese and Japanese. It is known to be the largest circulated newspaper in the US.
- The New York Times (USA) :
Another extremely popular American daily, the New York Times was founded on 18 September 1851 by Henry Jarvis Raymond and George Jones. Headquartered in New York, the daily prints news from almost every possible field and is undoubtedly, one of the most famous newspapers from the country.
- The Washington Post (USA) :
This prestigious newspaper, founded on 6 December 1877 by Stilson Hutchins, is one of the oldest and largest newspapers in the USA., and circulates almost half a million copies everyday and a million copies on Sundays. It is known to use the slogan “Democracy dies in darkness”.
- China Daily (China) :
Headquartered in Cheboygan (Beijing), China Daily is a daily english newspaper founded on 1 June 1981. It is published from Monday to Saturday and circulates almost half a million daily copies. Published by the satellite offices of Hong Kong, United States and Europe, the newspaper well serves all those who wish to improve their English vocabulary.
- The Times of India (India) :
One of the most circulated English daily newspapers in the world, The Times of India is a prestigious Indian newspaper (formerly known as “The Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce”). Headquartered in Mumbai, it was founded on 3 November 1938 and is the oldest as well as the fourth largest newspaper in India.
- The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) :
The Australian newspaper, formerly known as “Sydney Herald”, was founded by Frederick Stokes, Ward Stephes and William McGarvie on 18 April 1831. Published 6 days a week, it is also a national online news brand since 1995.
- The Asahi Shimbun (Japan) :
Japan’s oldest and largest daily newspaper, the Asahi Shimbun, was founded on 25 January 1879 with its headquarters in Tokyo. It is one of the five national newspapers of Japan and has had a long tradition of reporting on scandals.
- Dawn (Pakistan) :
Dawn is the oldest and the most widely circulated newspaper in Pakistan.It was founded on 26 October 1941 by Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Delhi, and its headquarters are located in Karachi. With offices in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore, it is published by Pakistan Herald publication.
- Zaman (Turkey) :
Known for being the first Turkish daily that went online in 1995, Zaman, was founded in 1986. It is widely distributed in 35 countries and printed in 11 countries, in over 10 languages and is considered an Islamic newspaper.
So, these were the top ten newspapers from a global perspective. Without newspapers, a society can never develop, grow and prosper. “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing”, and newspapers are the most effective source of spreading awareness and knowledge to one and all alike.